recovery of reservoirs in the Valencian Community

The DANA which hit the Valencian Community on October 29 and which leaves at least 214 deaths in the province of Valencia, has transformed the reservoir situation.

For months, drought and lack of rain have worried administrations, with very low available water levels it even endangers supplies intended for human consumption, agricultural irrigation and industrial uses.

However, DANA filled the tanks unexpectedlycreating a new scenario of available water resources.

Actually, the reservoirs of the Júcar basin They increased the water reserve again last week and amounted to 48.1%, half a point more than the previous week. Meanwhile, those of Segura increased to 18.7%, 0.6 points more than the previous week.

This is what the data published this Tuesday by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco). According to information, the Júcar reservoirs currently store 1,368 cubic hectometers, 13 more than the previous week.

This figure is higher than the reserve of 1,318 hm3 which existed at the same time last year, and the average of 1,184 hm3 over the last ten years.

For its part, the Segura basin has a reserve of 213 cubic hectometers, or 7 more than last week.

At the national level, the water reserve stores 28,717 cubic hectometers of water, Thus, compared to last week, it has lost four tenths, according to government data.

In addition, the reserve is 7.7 points higher than last year and 4.8 points higher than the average of the last ten years. In general, Miteco warned that precipitation was abundant on the Mediterranean slope and affected the Atlantic slope to a lesser extent.

By area, Eastern Cantabria represents 89%; the Western Cantabrian Sea at 58.8%; Miño-Sil at 60.2%; Galicia Costa at 69.2%; the interior basins of the Basque Country at 95.2%; the Duero at 62.5%; the Tagus at 56.2%; Tinto, Odiel and Piedras at 76.4%; and the Ebro at 71.8%.

Below 50% are Guadiana at 41.2%; Guadalete-Barbate at 27.5%; Guadalquivir at 34.8%; the Andalusian Mediterranean basin at 27.4%; Segura at 18.7%; the inland basins of Catalonia at 33.4%; and Júcar at 48.1%.

Help in the field

The torrential rains caused by DANA led to a significant recharge of reservoirs, providing respite to the population and the agricultural sector.

While, oragricultural organizations of the Valencian Community transferred this Tuesday to the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planasand to the Valencian advisor of the branch, Miguel Barrachina, your requests in response to crops affected by DANA.

The meeting was held in Valencia and the losses are estimated between 800 and one billion euros in the first assessments. The meeting also served to address the measures approved by the central government.

“We must compensate and help, but also think about the future“, declared the minister in a statement sent to the media. Plana recognized that maintaining agricultural activity is essential to ensure food production but also for territorial planning and the preservation of nature and the environment .

Luis Planas detailed specific support measures that are worth 444.5 million euros approved Monday by the Council of Ministers.

The minister recalled that the DANA which hit the Valencian Community on October 29 “is the worst natural disaster to have occurred in Europe so far this century and that the government is absolutely committed to repair and reconstruction.”

The measures approved during the last two Councils of Ministers and already in force after their publication in the Official State Journal add to the total around 14 billion euros.

“Great disasters, great remedies,” he stressed. According to Planas, this is a great collective effort and what the government is going to do “as much as it takes and as long as it takes“for the recovery of affected areas.

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For his part, the The Minister of Agriculture, Water, Livestock and Fisheries, Miguel Barrachina, ensured agility and coordination between administrations to face “a battle, that of recovering our lost agriculture and livestock , which concerns us all.

“Those of us who have political responsibilities in the field of agriculture and livestock will be on the same level as our farmers and our ranchers, working together and working for them and that is why the urgency of this help so that no one can fall into discouragement,” said Barrachina.

The regional leader explained that at the Ministry of Agriculture there is “responsible” and they believe in a response from “everyone”. For this reason, he thanked the minister for the meeting with the sector and the ministry.

“Minister Planas showed his dual quality as Minister of Agriculture and Valencian and, therefore, this was a meeting to join forces,” he emphasized.

Barrachina explained that they decided to coordinate all actions “in all areas” so that “they are not duplicated and the investment arrives in the shortest possible time and with the greatest possible efficiency.”

Thus, he stressed that the order prepared by the ministry to “immediately pay farmers and winners for the loss of production before DANA” will be handed over to the ministry so that their aid can be paid “with the same immediacy”.